The Path
by Lady Zutara
Summary: AU. Katara has been told her entire life not to stray from the path, that danger lurks around every corner in the woods. But what would happen if that danger didn't have the claws and fangs of a beast? What if, instead, it had the enchanting eyes and the handsome face of a man? Zutara.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**  
Into the woods, but mind the path.

* * *

"Sokka! Dad!" Katara shouted from the front door. "I'm on my way to Gran-Gran's!"

"Wait!" Her father replied.

She turned to see him walking from the kitchen carrying a basket laden with meats and breads. Carefully, he handed it to her. "You almost forgot the food."

Oh, she realized. That would have made the entire journey pointless. "Thanks Dad, you saved me another trip."

He nodded. "Be careful Katara, make sure you-"

"Stick to the path." She finished for him.

He sighed. "Katara, I'm serious. The woods are dangerous and we've been receiving some troubling reports from the neighboring villages. They say people have gone missing."

She reached out to clutch his hand. "Dad, I'll be fine. This isn't the first time I've made the trip alone. And I promise to stay away from any dangerous looking animals."

He shook his head. "It's not the animals I'm worried about."

"Dad, I can take care of myself."

He smiled. "I know. Just promise me you won't stray from the path."

She nodded. "I promise. Now, can I go?"

"Yes, but be safe. I expect you back by sundown. And if you're not back, I'm sending Sokka out to find you."

"Sundown it is." She turned, and with the basket in tow, began walking out the door.

"Oh and Katara" he shouted out.

"Yes?"

"No talking to strangers."

"I wouldn't dream of it." And with that, she was gone.

The sun had just begun to slide over the horizon, casting orange and pink shadows on the wooden cottages surrounding her. No one appeared to be out at the moment, and she basked in the quietness of it all. Normally, the village was bustling with people running here and there; but now it was very much deserted. The villagers had yet to rise from their beds and start the day.

Swiftly, she walked down the dirt path leading to the edge of the village. Why her grandmother decided to live so far away, she didn't know. But Gran-Gran was stubborn and refused to move from her crumbling, ancient home. Whenever anyone brought it up, she told them someone had to keep an eye out for the village-that someone had to warn them of threats. And who better than the old woman living at the edge of the woods?

Katara shook her head. She couldn't wait for the day her grandmother gave in and moved in with them. Then, she would no longer have to make this tedious trip.

She looked back to see that the village was far behind her, only the dirt path and the woods remained a head. How ominous the forest looked in dawn's early light. If she didn't know of the path's enchantment, she might have been afraid. But then again, no. Katara liked to think herself brave.

Humming as she went, she slowly made her way down the path.

"You have a very nice voice."

Katara jerked to a stop. Meticulously, her eyes scanned across the forest until they landed on a boy perched calmly against a tree. He was tall and had skin as pale as the moon. His cheekbones were high, his face narrow and beautiful, his hair a rich shade of black. But what struck her most were his eyes-eyes as golden as the Sun with thick black lashes. She had never seen eyes like them. All the eyes she had ever known were blue, grey, brown, or green. But not gold, never gold. She held back a gasp. He was beautiful.

She trembled. He was a spirit; he had to be. She had heard of spirits coming to visit humans before, but nothing good ever came of it.

Her voice shaking, she called out, "Are you a spirit? What do you want with me?"

He laughed, stepping toward her, his hooded red cloak billowing in the wind. He stopped just outside the edge of the dirt road.

"Do I look like a spirit to you?" He questioned, his voice velvety and deep.

"I don't know" she retorted. "I've never seen one before."

"Well, you can't touch spirits, can you?"

"No," she mused. "I don't suppose you can."

He reached his hand out towards her. "You have your answer then. All you have to do is step off the dirt road and touch my hand, then you'll know if I'm a spirit or not."

For a moment, she considered it; until common sense came flooding back to her.

Angrily, she responded. "You're just trying to lure me from the path! So you can eat me or do whatever you spirits do to young maidens."

Now, he was really laughing. He tossed his head back, his laughter seeming to echo throughout the forest.

When he finished, he looked at her, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. "Do you honestly think I want to eat you? Are you really that afraid of me?"

She huffed. "I'm not afraid of anything, but I'm no fool."

"Oh, really? Then why don't you step off the path, _little wolf_?"

"Little wolf?" She questioned. "Why did you call me that?"

"Because you think yourself so strong and fearless. When in reality, you're just a scared little girl."

"I'm not little!" She retorted. "I'm 16! And I'm not afraid of you! I have half a mind to cross this path and smack you!"

A small, amused smile emerged on his lips. "I'd like to see you try."

"Oh, I will! If I ever see you again, and I don't have food to deliver to my grandmother, it will be the first thing I do!"

He stared at her with quiet, curiosity. "I'll take you up on that."

Katara was startled by the intensity of his gaze. "I should be going. I can't keep my grandmother waiting."

"Wait" he declared.

Katara shifted uncomfortably as he began to remove his red cloak.

"I want you to take this" he gestured towards the cloak.

"Why?" She queried.

"You amuse me. And I'd like to find you again." He tossed the red cloak through the invisible barrier, onto the dirt road.

She eyed it wearily. "How will this help you find me?"

"Whenever you're wearing it and you enter the woods, I'll know."

She reached down to pick it up. "How does it work? And how did you find me in the first place? And you never told me your name. And-"

His chuckle echoed throughout the still forest again. "I'll see you soon, _little wolf_."

By the time she looked up, he was gone. She clutched the red cloak in her hands; it smelled of smoke and ash.

She shoved it to the bottom of the basket she was bringing to her grandmother. A million questions ran through her mind.

Should she tell anyone about the boy?

Should she tell anyone about the cloak?

Was he really a spirit?

She walked the rest of the way to Gran-Gran's cottage in a daze. When she trudged up the stairs to her grandmother's front porch, she was greeted with a warm smile.

"I'm glad to see you've arrived safely Katara. Did anything interesting happen on the way over?" Gran-Gran asked, as Katara removed the food from the basket.

"No," Katara lied. "Nothing at all."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! I've been struggling with a little bit of writer's block with one of my other fics, so this kind of happened. I'm sure all of you know the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood, this is my Zutara spin on it. I'm not expecting too many chapters, and they should be around this length.**

 **But I hope you all liked chapter 1. And I can't wait to hear from you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two  
** Be careful not to tempt the wolf

* * *

Katara didn't trust the boy, yet she still wore the cloak he had given her the next day she went into the woods. But, to her surprise, when he found her on the path, he didn't try to touch her. And she didn't run.

She met him again and again, and every time she stuck to the path. Always she kept a pace between them.

His face haunted her dreams, his beauty unsettling more so than charming. Alarm bells went off in her head every time she saw him. But she chose to continue with this fragile relationship. After all, he answered most of her questions and never tried to hurt her. She grew to trust him, far more than she probably should have.

"So," she said to the boy whom had yet to reveal his name. "Will you tell me what you are now?"

"Maybe," he said. "But why should I tell my secrets to someone who doesn't trust me?"

"Would you tell them to someone who did?" she asked.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, a small smile forming on his lips.

He had never hurt her. All these days they had met alone in the woods, and he had never even tried. And although the nickname he had for her was annoying, it was the only one anyone had ever cared enough to give her.

"Yes," she said, as she looked into those fierce golden eyes. "I trust you."

"Then prove it," he said, his eyes lighting up like two torches in the night. "Step off the path. If you're right, you won't be needing its protection anymore."

The path was enchanted with a strong and ancient magic. She was never supposed to step off of it inside the woods, but she did not hesitate to do so. After all, she was brave. Today would be the day that she proved it.

His teeth gleamed as he smiled and stepped toward her. "Don't worry _Little Wolf_ ," he whispered, "I'll protect you from the spirits."

She felt so small and fragile standing next to him, but somehow she found her voice. "I think I can protect myself," she retorted, her flaring with anger.

He laughed. "I'm sure you can."

"Now," she began. "I've done my part. Will you tell me what you are?"

He moved even closer. "Yes."

Suddenly, it was hot and Katara felt like she was suffocating. His closeness, the intensity of his gaze, it was all too much. This was a mistake; she never should have crossed that line.

But she had gone this far; she owed it to herself to at least feign bravery. "So tell me," she responded. "Tell me what you are."

"What I am," he whispered, and his hands gently cupped her shoulders. He stared at her as if the fate of the world depended on him-on what he would do next.

And for a moment, his gaze was muddled, confused even. But as quickly as that look came, it was replaced by stony resolution and fortitude.

Then his lips came crashing down on hers.

And Katara was a whirlwind of emotions ranging from shock, to rage, to utter bliss. It was like his body called to her, every inch of him calling to her like a beacon. And she knew she should stop; she knew something was wrong. But she couldn't because she didn't want to.

Because this felt good.

It felt amazing, actually.

And she didn't want to let go.

He pulled her closer, encasing her entire body with his. His arms wrapped in an arc across her back, preventing her from moving.

She felt herself being guided backward, until her back was pressed flesh against a tree. But she hardly noticed, because all she noticed was him-the stranger she was kissing in the middle of the woods.

Her stomach fluttered over and over again. An electrifying heat raced through her body, and it felt incredible. It was nothing like she heard kisses were supposed to be. It wasn't delicate or sweet; it was intense. And it was wonderful…

Until it started to burn.

For a moment the pain dazed her. Then, the ache in her left arm deepened.

She wanted to stop this. She needed to stop this.

And it took all the willpower within her to stop. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, and her lips stilled. It was like she was coming out of a trance.

Shock raced through her as she saw the source of her pain. It was exactly where his hand was now wrapped around her wrist.

 _When had he moved it there?_

She looked around to see that the path was nowhere in sight.

 _How far away had he taken her?_

 _How had she lost control so easily?_

She started to tremble. As he kept his firm, searing grip on her left arm, she feared that he really was a spirit. She feared that she had been fool enough to fall right into his trap.

As she realized all of these things, the boy's eyes opened, almost as if some part of him deep within sensed her growing trepidation.

He stepped back, releasing her burning arm. But he would not meet her eyes.

The pain was blinding now. And Katara stared at the wrist she expected to be charred black, to see that her skin was perfectly normal. But it burned; it burned like nothing she had ever felt before.

And although she could not find the source of her pain, she knew that she was burning. She knew that she was burning because somehow this mesmerizing boy with the golden eyes had set her on fire. The guilt plastered across his face told her that she was right.

"Why?" She stammered. "Why did you do this?"

She knew there were other, more pressing, questions to ask but this was the only one that mattered.

He didn't' answer, and he continued to look away.

The world swam around her. She felt numb to anything and everything, everything but the fire that seemed to sear her to her very bones.

The trees lost their color. Black dots began to sprawl across her vision as she lost feeling in her legs and fell to the ground.

She couldn't move. But beneath all the pain, she felt something else: a deep sense of sadness and disappointment she could not comprehend.

Tears leaked from the edges of her eyes. And she didn't know whether it was from the pain or from his betrayal.

And the worst part, she realized, was that she would most likely die, on a forest floor littered with leaves and twigs. Next to a boy, or whatever he was, that would not even turn to face her-to face what he had done.

"I trusted you," she breathed in her delirium. "How c-could…you do this to me?"

She couldn't see anymore, but she felt him draw nearer. And her head was lifted up to rest against something, or someone. She knew exactly who it was, but chose not to acknowledge it.

 _Better to die in the arms of the boy who killed you, than to die all alone._

For what felt like days, she rested there, waiting for darkness to take her. With each moment, she grew number to the pain, even to her own sadness and remorse.

But she could feel the tears. Tears that felt like rain pouring down her cheeks, but something inside her told her that they were not all her own.

"It was the only way," she heard him whisper, before her mind stopped working completely.

And the pain was gone.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey! Sooo…what are you guys thinking? What is Zuko? What did he do to Katara? Is she even alive? *queue dramatic theme music* I'd love to hear your predictions.

Also, I'm sorry for the delayed update. But I hope you all had an amazing holiday season filled with Jesus and cookies!

And thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter one! :')

 **POLL:** I'm thinking of changing the name of this story to The Woods. It would incorporate other fairytales, with other Avatar characters inside of them. But it would all come together with Katara and Zuko's story.

The questions is: Would you guys like this story to turn into the woods or do you want to keep it purely Zutara with the Path?

The choice is yours my magnificent readers! :)

 **A/N for Twisted Readers:** Don't hate me guys! I'm uberrrr sorry! An update is coming soon. This story is kind of my practice for Twisted, if that makes any sense? I've got to get these writing juices flowing! :P


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to all the chapter two reviewers! I seriously loved hearing your thoughts about what to do with the story. I've decided to keep the name as The Path, but I'll still be incorporating other fairytales.

* * *

 **Chapter Three  
**

 _Hold him to the light now,  
_ _let him see the glow._

* * *

Katara awoke with a painful headache and a silent scream on her lips. Slowly, she rolled over and began to open her eyes. But as she did so, she sank deeper within the bed.

 _Wait. A bed?_

Her eyes shot open and her hand went to cover her rapidly beating heart. When she gained full control of her senses, she realized it wasn't just any old bed. It was _her_ bed. In _her_ room. In _her_ house. In _her_ village.

She shook her head and blinked several times. This had to be a dream. She remembered falling and dying on the forest floor. She remembered burning and being betrayed. She remembered…

But her surroundings testified to falseness of these memories. She rose and stood next to her window. The glass was warm beneath her hands and her eyes squinted shut from the intensity of the light shining through.

 _This was real. This was her reality. Maybe all that she had felt and seen before was the dream?_

In a way, she felt relieved. At least in this reality, she hadn't been fooled or betrayed. Everything was normal. Everything was as it should be.

Subconsciously, she rubbed her wrist-the wrist she had been so sure would be charred beyond recognition. But the flesh of her arm was smooth and cool beneath her fingers; her skin teemed with life. Expectantly, she lifted her arm to examine it.

It was normal.

She shook her head again and let her arm fall back against her side.

She was turning away from the window when something caught her eye. A twinkle, something glinted in the light.

In the window's reflection, Katara could see that her wrist was glowing brightly. A small flame insignia, tinged with orange and gold, was sketched on the inside of it. Heat emanated from it, coursing through her veins. In disbelief, she stepped back from the window. But as she did, the insignia along with its comforting warmth faded away.

 _So it hadn't been a dream,_ she decided quietly.

Suddenly, her mind was flooded with rage. She'd been betrayed and lied to. Not to mention _he_ had stolen _her_ first kiss! Angrily, she mumbled the word "stupid!" to herself repeatedly. How could she have been so easily fooled- so easily tricked by some boy in the woods?

She'd been told her entire life not to stray from the path but she still did. What did she expect? That he liked her? That he genuinely cared for her?! No! He'd only toyed with her emotions and strung her along.

She'd been kind to him and had given him her trust! But what did she get in return? Nothing! She was branded like nothing more than a common cow! But why was she _here_? Why was she not dead? Surely this had to mean something.

Furiously, she scanned the room for that accursed red cloak. _Ah-Ha!_ She thought when she found it.

She slung it across her shoulders and threw open her bedroom door. She was storming outside when she heard Sokka call her name. She paused in mid-step, irritated at his untimely interruption. She turned to see him sitting at their wooden dining table, sheepishly looking up at her.

"Katara," he said again. "I really need some advice. And I doubt Dad really knows about this sort of thing."

Begrudgingly, she inched towards the chair across from him and took a seat. Momentarily, she wondered if she should tell him about any of this. She wondered if she should involve him in the nightmare that was now her life. But the way he smiled, he looked so happy right now. She wouldn't take away his happiness just because hers had been stolen.

Sokka rambled on. And although she caught tidbits of his musings, she was too pre-occupied to really listen. She interjected the occasional "Uh-huh" and "Yes" whenever appropriate, but at the end of the conversation she had no clue what was going on or what she'd agreed to.

Only when he jumped up and declared that he would be going out into the wood did she actually pay attention.

"Do you want to tag along?" he asked. "It'll save you the trip to Gran-Gran's tomorrow."

Absentmindedly, Katara shook her head no.

"Alright," he replied. "Tell Dad I'll be back as soon as I find it!"

"Wait!" Katara shouted out. She had to talk him out of this. She couldn't very well go out and confront the guy who'd marked her if Sokka was out gallivanting through the woods doing who knows what. But what could she say?

 _Don't go because I need to find the weird spirit guy who marked me and I can't do that if you're around because he may or may not be extremely dangerous._

"Ugh," she groaned, there was no way that was happening. "Just be safe Sokka. Oh, and I need you to promise me something."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Promise me you'll stick to the path. Promise me you won't stray from it no matter what you see or hear out there."

"Someone is starting to sound a lot like Dad," he muttered.

Katara glared at him.

"Alright. Alright. I promise," Sokka conceded, as he walked out the door.

Whatever Katara wanted to say to the boy in the woods would have to wait until Sokka got back. There was no way she was involving him if she didn't have to.

* * *

The sun was slipping across the horizon when Sokka finally returned. He had been gone practically the entire day. With annoyance, Katara noted it would be night soon. Anxiously, she rose from her chair seated in front of the window as Sokka silently slipped though the door.

She waited, she didn't know why exactly, for him to say something. But he didn't utter a word, not even a greeting. He merely stared at her, but not really at her. He appeared to be looking through her, his eyes unfocused and hollow.

After a few moments Katara cleared her throat and spoke. "So, did you find it? I mean, whatever it was you were looking for out there?" She hadn't meant to admit that she wasn't really listening to him earlier, but none of that really seemed to matter now.

He blinked once, and some small amount if clarity returned to his eyes. Subconsciously, Katara breathed a sigh of relief.

He reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out something crumpled and wilting. He looked upon it, his face beset with sadness and remorse. "Yes," he began. "Yes, I found the flower as white as snow."

Katara stared at him and back at the dying flower in his hands. Her face was etched with worry. "Sokka, that flower isn't white. It's yellowed and dying."

"No," he said firmly. "It was a white rose."

His eyes flashed with joy at the memory. "Oh, it was the whitest rose you ever did see, Katara!"

He looked down at the dying thing he held now. "I don't understand. It was beautiful and alive only a few moments ago. But now," he paused. "It's not."

"What did you need the flower for?"

"I was going to propose to—to Yue" he stammered. "And I wanted to give her something special. The flower was the same color as her hair, so I…" He trailed off.

For a moment, Katara was giddy. So, she would have a sister after all! "Sokka, this is great news! Don't worry about that silly old flower! I'm sure she'll say yes whether you have a flower or not." She smiled at him.

"No," he said quickly. "I can't propose right now. I can't."

"Why?" she asked, her smile dropping.

Sokka looked at her and ran a hand through his hair, a tell tale sign that he was about to tell a lie. "I just have things to do first."

"What things?" She pressed further.

He scowled at her. "I don't owe you an explanation."

"Sokka," she touched his shoulder. "I just want to help. "

He stood, shaking her hand off his shoulder. "Well, I don't need your help! For once in your life Katara, why don't you just mind your own business?"

"Fine!" she shouted back. "You can keep your secrets!" Katara had enough to go around for the both of them; she didn't need to carry his burdens too.

Angrily, she grabbed the red cloak and stormed from the house. Night had set in, but Katara didn't care. She would go out and do what she planned on doing in the first place: finding the boy who had marked her and dealing with him. Sokka's unexplained rage didn't change anything.

Now, if Katara were thinking clearly she might have seen through Sokka's anger. She might have been able to see that he wasn't really angry at all. She might have seen that his rage was a thin veil for his worry; and that by pushing her out, he was only trying to protect her.

But Katara wasn't thinking clearly that night.

And maybe, if Katara had known what was going to happen in the woods that night, she might have parted with her brother on better terms. She might have said goodbye.

* * *

It took only a few minutes for Katara to reach the center of the woods along the path. But there was no sign of the boy.

"Hey!" She shouted into the darkness as she held the cloak up in the air. "I'm here! Why don't you come out here and face me!? Why don't you come out here and face what you've done?!"

She received no response. "Hey!" She shouted once more.

Again, nothing.

 _Fine_ , she decided. If he didn't come out, she would make him come out. She took the velvet red cloak into her hands and began tearing it to pieces. She had never owned a garment so fine in all her life, but she would happily tear of thousand of them to shreds if it would make him come out.

"Please, stop." She heard a voice call from behind her. It was hollow and sad, nothing like _his_ voice, but she knew it was his voice nonetheless.

She turned back to look at him, to make him see her. She wanted to tell him of all the pain he had caused her and she wanted him to feel her pain. But all these thoughts vanished into thin air as she looked upon him. He was glowing, a lot like a candle in the night. His glow flickered in and out, but it was still there. Katara racked her brain; she had never seen him at night. But now she supposed she knew why.

"Please," his voice was strained and hoarse. "Leave me alone. I know what I've done. But I can't change it. I'll make things right when I find her. Together, we'll set you all free."

"What are you talking about?" She wondered aloud.

His brow furrowed. "You. Why does my mind torment me so? You look exactly as she did. You look so real."

"I am real!" she shouted. Rage unfolded inside her as she remembered what he had done. "And I've come for answers! I want to know what you did to me yesterday!"

He looked at her, as if considering that she were a real person for the first time. "Prove it. Step over the path and touch me like you did yesterday."

Katara considered this for a minute, then decided to step over. After all, what else could he do to her?

She moved towards him like lightening, and she did more than touch him. She smacked him in the face, hard.

 _Well_ , Katara thought smugly as she remembered the promise she had made to him that first day, _I always keep my word._

He clutched his cheek, as if in shock that she had actually hit him. But then, he broke into a smile, a true one. A smile that reached his eyes and made Katara wonder if he had ever truly smiled in front of her before.

And Katara was confused. He shouldn't be overjoyed. He should be angry. "Why are you smiling? I just slapped you."

He lunged forward. But before Katara could move out of the way, he had lifted her in the air and was spinning her around. "It really is you! After all this time, I've found you!" He laughed as he twirled her, his joy more contagious than any illness. Katara wanted to laugh with him, be happy with him, and for a time she was. She giggled as he spun her, and forgot her anger.

But thoughts of what he had done yesterday hit her like a slap in the face. And the moment passed as quickly as it came. "Put me down," she said through gritted teeth.

Slowly, he acquiesced. When she was finally able to compose herself, she really looked at him. She looked him in the eyes. He stared at her with an adoration Katara had never seen. It was a gaze that could melt her heart and shatter her anger to pieces. And it frightened her because she thought she saw love in his gaze, not the guilt she thought he should feel. How could he love her? He didn't even know her.

"Stop looking at me like that," she demanded.

A smile tinged at the corners of his mouth. "Like what, _Little Wolf_?"

"Oh, you know," she glared at him. "Like some sort of lovesick simpleton."

"Whose to say what I do or do not feel towards you? Or," he paused and smiled slyly at her. "What you feel towards me."

"Absolutely nothing," she lied. "I feel absolutely nothing towards you."

"It didn't seem like that yesterday."

Katara fought back a blush at the memory. "I wasn't in full control of my mind yesterday. But now I see you for what you truly are."

His eyes, two molten pools of ember, bore into her. She hated when he did that, when he looked at her as if he could really see her- as if he could see into the depths of her heart.

Finally, he dropped his gaze. "Katara, you know I wouldn't hurt you. You know me-"

"No, I don't." She cut him off. "I don't know you at all. I presumed to know you once, but I will never do so again."

"Katara," he started.

"No, you don't get to call me that." She spoke softly. "You so freely use my name when I don't even know yours."

And in that moment, it dawned on her that she did not know him. She knew nothing about him at all, not where he came from or who his family was. This entire time, he had been so clever, so careful to hide himself. And she had been so foolish. "Tell me," she said in a quieter voice this time. "Tell me what this is." She gestured towards the mark on her inner wrist that glinted in the moonlight.

Slowly, he reached for her wrist. Katara shied away at first, but the brief flash of hurt she saw in his eyes changed her mind. She allowed him to grasp her arm.

He eyed the insignia, rubbing the tips of his fingers along its outline. It scared her. He touched her so gently, so tenderly. It was so unlike the day she had kissed him in the woods. Now, he seemed meek and tentative, almost afraid that if he pushed too hard she would break. "It means you are her-the one I have been searching for. It means you are my true love."

Katara jerked her hand from his palm. This couldn't be true. This was…this was a lie. True love was a thing of bedtime stories that mothers told their daughters at night. It wasn't real. It wasn't a mark on the inside of her wrist. It wouldn't be. It couldn't be. She looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity in them, his belief in the truth of what he was saying.

"I wasn't completely honest with you in the beginning. I'm not a spirit, but I'm not human either."

Katara began to inch away from him. She had expected this; she knew he wasn't normal. But the way he brazenly admitted to his lies frightened her. She had expected him to be malicious and calculating, not mild and unsure.

"You," she began. "You lie. This can't be true. I don't even know your name. How can I love you?" Her voice cracked. "How can you love me after what you did? You tried to kill me." She touched her wrist. "This isn't a mark of love. This is the mark I received from surviving your attack."

"No," he cringed. "I never wanted to hurt you. But…receiving the mark is painful."

"But you thought I was a ghost. You expected me to be dead."

"I-I just," he stammered. "I've seen what the curse can do. If you were not the right one, you would have vanished. I've seen it happen so many times. When you fell and began to fade away I thought the same had happened to you."

"Wait, what curse? What do you mean? How many girls have you lured away? How many families have you destroyed?" She accused.

"I never meant to. I-"

His voice was cut off by the harsh shrill of a chilling wind. It seemed to come out of nowhere, disconcerting them both.

Alarmed, the boy rushed forward speaking hurriedly into her ears. "Listen, I can't protect you now. The moon is full and I'm no match for her. She's coming for you."

Katara stared at him, confused. "Who's coming for me?"

"The witch!" He bellowed, shoving her away.

She stumbled back, but didn't move any further. She wouldn't leave him. No, that wasn't right. She couldn't leave him. She refused to.

"Run!" He shouted. "Go now!" His eyes pleaded for her to go, to leave before whatever it was arrived.

She stared at him, mustering up all the courage she had left. She couldn't bring herself to leave him because she knew if the situation were reversed, that he wouldn't leave her. Not for anything in the world.

"I'm not leaving you to face this witch alone!" She shouted against the wind.

"Please," he whispered. "You're the key to saving us all. You've got to-"

But his words were cut off as his body stilled. And the wind stilled. And everything around her appeared to freeze. She poked the boy; she prodded him but he would not move. He didn't appear to breathe. He seemed no more or less alive than a tree.

"That will do no good, girl." A sharp, ancient voice called from behind her. The voice sounded of agony and of nails scraping against bark. It sounded of sorrow and hatred and jealousy and anger. It was the voice she heard laughing the day her mother was pulled beneath the waters of the river. It was the voice she could not escape, not even in her dreams.

Katara tried not to scream. The witch was here.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys, long time no see! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've had it written for awhile and just never got around to posting it.**

 **Sooooooooooooo, any guesses on what Zuko is? Or who the witch is? Or what happened to Sokka? Keep in mind we are in a fairytale(ish) setting.**

 **OOC(ness) explanation: I know, Zuko is definitely not the angry, spoiled guy he was on the show. But that's because certain events haven't come to pass . He'll definitely be more in character in future chapters. Uhm, if anyone is particularly upset about this, please pm me. Also, if you have any fairytales you'd like to see in this fic, let me know.**

 **I have tons more fairytale ideas, I just hope I don't go overboard. Let me know if I start to seem a little crazy... ;)**

 **Can't wait to hear from you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**  
 _Into the woods, i_ _t's time to go._

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Katara turned to see an old, weathered woman with strikingly grey hair that fell in heaps around her face. Her nails were long and jagged, sharpened at the tips like daggers. But what disturbed Katara most were her eyes-they held a sort of coldness that was almost inhuman.

The old woman hunted Katara's face for something, what it was Katara did not know. "So, you are the one who broke my curse?" She croaked.

"I didn't break any curse," Katara said quickly. "I didn't kiss him, he kissed me." She felt like she was betraying him in a way. But what else was there to say? It was the only truth she knew.

'Hmm," the old woman continued to consider her. "Who are you?"

Katara prepared herself to lie. She ran the lies through her mind and prepared to spin them with her mouth. No good could come of this woman finding out who she was, or better yet who her family was. "You see," she began. "I'm-"

"Do not seek to deceive me little girl." The witch interrupted. "The lies you prepare to weave will do you no good. I already know who you are."

"Then why ask me?" Katara questioned, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Because I can," the old woman simply replied.

Katara fidgeted with her skirts. "Who are you?"

"I am called Hama."

A shutter racked through Katara's body. She knew who this old woman was, that is if the legends were true. If this was the same sea witch she had heard stories about, she should have run when the boy asked her to.

"You're a witch aren't you?" Katara asked. "You're the reason he's frozen right now."

"Yes."

"Then, you can unfreeze him. He has done nothing wrong."

The old woman laughed. "Nothing wrong? What a naïve girl you are. Do you know how many girls he has kissed before you? Do you know how many girls he has tried to mark?"

"N-no," Katara stammered. "But neither do you."

She laughed again. "Oh, trust me, I do. They are in a prison of my making. I hear them curse him. I hear them weep."

"What?"

"Ah, I see he deemed not to tell you the whole truth. He feared you would hate him and I would not blame you if you did. He is not as innocent as he seems."

"What do you mean? How do you know so much about him?"

Hama smirked. "Because I am the one who cursed your fair prince to roam these mortal woods for all of eternity. Well, until he found you."

"P-Prince?" Katara stuttered.

"Didn't you know, girl?" Hama mocked. "You've been consorting with royalty. You've fallen prey to the heir of the Sun Court himself-Prince Zuko."

 _So, Zuko is his name_ , Katara thought _._ _It suited him well_.

But something was bothering Katara. Something was nagging in the back of her mind. "Wait, the Sun Court? I've heard stories about it. It's the land beyond the sun. They say it is inhabited by all kinds of creatures, but it is ruled by faeries… " Her voice trailed off. "But if he is their prince, doesn't that make him a faery?"

Hama nodded. "The faeries have ruled for far too long. I intend to bring about an end to their rule. And you will help me. "

"But I have no magic, and even if I did, I would not help you. Especially not after-"

"What?" Hama interrupted. "After you found out he was your true love? Oh, my girl, I have a feeling you will." Hama smiled, teeth gleaming in the moonlight "Tell me of your mother."

Katara swallowed. "My mother is dead. She drowned in the river when I was seven years old."

The old woman licked her lips. "I will make you a deal. If you let me train you to do my bidding until I have overthrown the Sun Court, I will give you back your mother."

"You lie!" Katara accused. "You cannot bring back the dead! No magic is that powerful!"

"But your mother is not dead." Hama stated simply.

"No! I saw her die!" Katara choked back a sob. "She died because of me."

Katara remembered eating lunch with her mother by the river while her brother and father were fishing upstream. Her mother didn't like for she and Sokka to get in the water when their father wasn't around because she couldn't swim.

Katara remembered sneaking into the water anyways, while her mother was distracted. She remembered her ribbon coming loose in the water. And she chased it across the stream. She didn't notice the current growing stronger the further she moved inward. The next thing she knew, she was being carried away screaming.

The current was too powerful, and she was too small to swim against it. Her mother must have heard her cries because in the next few moments she remembered being pulled from under the water and being rested atop a log that had fallen in the stream.

She remembered her mother's eyes right before she was tugged under the current. She remembered the mocking laugh that seemed to ruminate from the water. Then, everything went dark. And Katara woke up to Sokka standing next to their father screaming "Where is mom?!" And Katara cried because she knew, but she didn't know.

The funeral was three days later.

Hama sighed. "I will not say this again. Your mother is not dead."

"Then where is she?" Katara raged.

"I have her. But I will give her back if you take my deal."

"How could you have her?

"She broke the conditions of our arrangement. She paid for it."

"My mother would never strike a bargain with a witch like you!" Katara seethed.

"Oh, but she would. She did it for your father."

Katara sucked in air.

"Oh, yes" Hama began to circle her. "It's all very romantic," she taunted. "Your mother was a siren, the daughter of the sea king. She was kind, too kind for her own good. One day, she came across a man drowning in the water. Against her better nature, she saved him. From that night on, she did not use her voice to sink another boat. Infuriated, her father asked her why. She told him that she had fallen in love with a man, your father. He cast her out and she came to me. She wanted legs and I gave them to her. But I had a price; I demanded her singing voice. I demanded that she never return to the water, or her soul would belong to me."

"I don't believe you," Katara half-heartedly whispered.

"Tell me, girl. Did your mother ever sing?"

Katara breathed deeply. It was true. Her mother never did sing, but Katara had assumed she just didn't like it. It never crossed her mind that her mother couldn't sing.

But her mother was alive! That's all that mattered now! And she could get her back, they could be a family again. "If I were to agree, how could I be of any use to someone as powerful as you? I have no magic."

"Yes you do, girl. You're half siren; magic is in your blood. You might have even lured your prince over here to you. Were you singing when he found you?"

With horror, Katara realized that she was. He had even complimented her voice. She really did have magic. And if she had magic, she could get her mother back. "I agree. I will do what you ask."

Hama grinned. "I thought you would." She moved towards Zuko, and laid a palm against his forehead. "Come here," she commanded Katara.

Katara inched forward. "What are you going to do to him?"

"I am going to make him forget you."

"Wait. Why?"

"Because he will search for you if he does not forget his time in these woods. And if that happens, things will not go according to plan."

A sharp pain raced through Katara's heart, she did not know why the idea of his forgetting her affected her so much. He had lied to her, she didn't know why she cared. "What will you do to him after you make him forget?"

"I will send him back to the Sun Court."

"But won't they just find a way to give him his memories back? Won't they want him to remember all the time he's been gone?"

"Not if they have been frozen in time during his absence."

"What? Wouldn't that take a lot of magic-to keep them frozen all this time?"

"It has drained me, but the plan must be followed to a tee." Hama waved a dismissive hand. "We will speak of this no more. Give me your wrist."

Wearily, Katara gave Hama her arm. The old woman began to chant and heat flared from the mark. A thin strip of golden light seeped from Zuko's forehead flowing into Katara's arm. There was a brief flash of light and when Katara looked at her arm, the mark was gone. And so was Zuko. She gaped at Hama. "What did you do?"

"It took your mark to take his memories and return him home," she paused. "I told you girl, all magic comes at a price."

Katara was beginning to wonder if she had done the right thing. She wondered how much this deal with Hama would cost her.

"Now, come." The old woman said. "There is much we need to do."

"Ok," Katara nodded. "Just let me go say goodbye. I'll explain to my father and-"

"No," Hama shook her head. "There's no time for that. We will go now."

Katara would have protested if she were not so afraid of what Hama would do if she did. For the first time in her life, Katara did not feel brave.

Hama began walking up the path, with Katara following closely like a shadow.

"There is much we need to do before your first assignment."

"What is my first assignment?" Katara asked.

"You will kill the prince, of course."

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 **A/N: If you're reading this, thanks for making it to the end of this chapter! I really appreciate it. Also, thanks for all the suggestions on what other fairytales to include in this story! I will definitely try to work them into the story if possible!**

 ****For those who don't know, a faerie has the body of a human sized elf. But they have magic. I'm referencing the faeries of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.**


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